Mato

Character Description

Mato is a farmer living in the northern forests of Ąpawičhak’ya. He prefers to keep to himself but is quick to help other farmers in the area when necessary. He’s locally known for his lack of speech, skills in animal handling, and association with his late father. His father was a ritual hunter and taught Mato most of his survival skills.
He manages a small farm alone. Because his father was a part of the dusk class and they didn’t have enough space to make profits off the farm, Mato grew up poor with an emphasis on self sufficiency. He grows several vegetables that freeze well: onions for soup and stew, parsnips, carrots, red cabbage, peas. In the warmer months he’ll grow fruit like strawberries and grapes. During harvest season in Fall, he sometimes contracts an additional helper or two but refuses long term help.

For Mato, showing devotion to the Anointed Mother is simple: he takes care of the earth and lets it take care of him in return. He does not care for the capital and its politics surrounding trade. The city folks lose track of what’s actually important when they let money dictate their lives.

Backstory

He grew up on the farm with his father and older brother Chaske. Mato took to the countryside easily, admiring his father’s hunting skills and the quiet the forest provided. There weren’t a lot of kids his age nearby, so he spent his youth fishing, tracking animals, and playing with Chaske when they weren’t helping his father with the farm. His brother would joke that he was more animal than human, with the way that he’d climb trees or spend afternoons in the forest listening to the wind. Mato doesn’t speak often and is curt when he does. The better he got at hunting, the more difficult it became to notice when he entered a room or approached. After enough times surprising his family and people in the closest village, he earned himself the nickname Foxtrot.
Chaske never got what Mato found so interesting about the woods, and Mato never got what Chaske found so interesting about the city– they had only been a couple times, when their father brought them along to collect bounties. This difference reared its head when Mato was 14 and Chaske ran away. He told Mato he would return when he could prove to their father that he could make it on his own, and Mato believed him at first. Their father never got over the situation. Mato kept trying to make up for Chaske’s absence until his father died from illness, leaving Mato alone with the farm at 17.
Chaske returned a year later not realizing what happened, and perhaps feeling guilt over the situation, began to visit Mato more often with gifts since he was a “big shot” and could afford to spoil his little brother. While Mato originally felt resentment towards his brother for leaving, he quickly let go of the feeling. Mato isn’t stupid: between his brother’s tattoos and seemingly bottomless wallet, it’s likely that he’s involved in organized crime, but Mato can’t bring himself to say anything about it. Despite all their differences, he’s the only family Mato has.

Age

24

Current Residence

Waziya

Pronouns

he/him

Eyes

Hazel

Hair

Black

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Olive, freckled

Height

5'6"

Belief/Deity

Astoria